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Soil degradation assessment – microorganisms as bioindicators
Delić, Dušica
Ugrenović, Vladan
Rasulić, Nataša
Buntić, Aneta
Knežević, Magdalena
Pivić, Radmila
Stajković-Srbinović, Olivera
Abstract: Organisms living in soil and their biological functions play a key role in the processes important for sustaining life on Earth. In healthy soil, microorganisms enable the maintenance of a favorable biochemical regime by the cycle of materials and energy flow, satisfying the needs of plants for nutrients. However, in the last decades soil health has been endangered on a global level under the influence of anthropogenic factors (intensive agriculture, industry, construction, transport) as well as under the influence of climate products which include extreme weather conditions (heavy rainfall, long periods of drought and high temperatures). These factors favor soil erosion, acidification and salinization of the soil, desertification leading to soil degradation, which is accompanied, among others, with changes in the biological properties of the soil. In order to prevent or repair soil degradation in time, it is necessary to use reliable bioindicators that point to the soil quality. So far, the following analyzes have been used: from quantities and diversity of macrofauna (worms and nematodes), through biomass, number, enzymatic activities and biodiversity of certain functional and physiological groups of microorganisms to the modern genetic analyzes as indicators of quality. Microbial biomass is used as an indicator of initial changes in the ecosystem. Total microflora, dehydrogenase activity, microbial biomass, soil respiration, the relationship between microbial enzyme activity and microbial biomass as well as the metabolic quotient for qCO2 (C-CO2 / microbial biomass) should be applied together in soil analysis because they indicate adverse effects of some anthropogenic factors and soil microbiological activity. The modern approach in the analysis of the soil microorganism’s diversity uses a combination of genomic approach (metagenomics) and traditional techniques for cultivation of microorganisms. In metagenomics, the analysis of microbiological communities is performed directly by applying modern genetic techniques, without isolation and cultivation of microorganisms. Degraded or contaminated agricultural soil and land around industrial plants and thermal power plants can be recovered by applying agrotechnical measures and bioremediation techniques. Conservation tillage, crop rotation, cover crops, introduction of plants, organic production and application of organic fertilizers and bioinoculants as methods to preserve soil fertility can also be applied during the recovery of poor and damaged land and agricultural soils.
Identifikator monografske publikacije: ISBN 978-86-7299-345-5
srpski
2022
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soil, microorganisms, indicators of biogenicity, soil degradation, assessment methods